Pros, Cons, Conclusions vs. Alabama

[REB1094]

Wow wow wow wow wow. How can I fit only 3 pros?

3 Pros:

1. In games like this, it's easy to forget that we have the BE POY Adama Sanogo. He struggled in the first half, but then took over the game when he needed to. 15 points in the last 10 minutes and some great defensive stops. Finished with 25 pts, 4 reb, 2 blk on 56% shooting
2. I thought Karaban and Joey C would get outmatched and smoked on defense but they both played GREAT. Karaban locked down Brandon Miller in the first half and Joey C was instant offense when we needed it. Karaban finished with 12pts, 4ast, 3reb on 57%. Joey with 10pts on 75%
3. I might get heat for this, especially because there's so many other Pros that deserve to be here, but I was impressed with Tristen Newton. He got pressed 94 feet every single play, and got the ball up the court with 0 turnovers (his 1 TO wasn't getting the ball up the court). Yes, he had his playmaker hat on and we needed his scoring hat at times, but he controlled pace very well. 8 assists, 4 steals, 4 rebounds, and 6-6 from the FT line, all in the last 8 minutes. It is not too far in the past where getting pressed would mean a turnover 1 out of every 3 times.

HM: Defense was beautiful. Alabama had their run as all good teams do, but other than that stretch we played GREAT defense. Their #1 scorer Miller shot 5-15. Their #2 scorer Sears shot 3-8. The perimeter defense on this team is outstanding.

HM2: I won't make HM2 a habit but I have to shout out Jordan Hawkins. He hit his shots and played amazing defense. He was our second leading scorer with 16pts on 50%. It was "quiet", but this is the Jordan Hawkins that makes this team deadly. Who else remembers his pump fake, side-step 3? That's an NBA move.

3 Cons:

1. Alleyne struggled. He seems so eager to see the ball go through the hoop that he forces bad shots and clunky offense outside of the normal flow. UConn has proved our offensive flow is one of the best in the country, and breaking outside of it usually doesn't end well. Alleyne finished with 0 points on 0-5 shooting
2. There were times where their physicality clearly bothered us. We didn't even get a shot up on the first possession and I'm pretty sure we didn't even get the ball within the three point line. When they went on their run, they sped us up and made us play their game, and we paid a price for that. Obviously it didn't last, because we hung 82 on them. We matched their physicality and it bothered them just as much as it bothered us
3. Andre Jackson was a net positive due to his defense and rebounding, but he’s gotta figure that scoring out. 0-4 on threes and was never really a scoring threat, which allowed them to stifle our offense just long enough to go on a run

HM: Bill Walton.

Conclusion: I'm not gonna lie. I was very deflated. We've all seen, in very recent memory, UConn go up big and then slowly lose the lead over the second half. A 15 point first half lead turned into a 5 point halftime lead. It was tied with 9 and a half minutes to go. Great teams close out games, and we closed out a game against the best team we've played since Villanova last year. We went on a run with great defense, great FT shooting (21-25: 87.5%), and making plays for the BE POY. This team is primed for a run in March. 7-0, let's go win this tournament. Go Huskies!

 

[spudzj6]

Think everyone has mentioned Alleyne's struggles. His shot will fall eventually, but I think you nailed it with reference to flow. On offense, most often guys where the ball sticks rests with Diarra and Alleyne. Not saying they are selfish, they're just trying to make a play, but it looks like 1-1 hero ball most times. They'll get right because we need them on the floor defensively.

Mentioned this in the chat, but deserves another look: diarra's best play of the night was physically standing up Ajax when he came down with a rebound and started to push up the floor wildly. Need more of that, staying under control.

 

[Waquoit]

Conclusion: I'm not gonna lie. I was very deflated. We've all seen, in very recent memory, UConn go up big and then slowly lose the lead over the second half. A 15 point first half lead turned into a 5 point halftime lead.

This is what happens in basketball. If that deflated you in a great win, you might want to pick a new sport for the sake your mental health.

 

[dogpause]

Awesome how both the men and women have looked so good so soon, and performing at a level that exceeds expectations.

Bama's pressure and athleticism at the start looked scary, but we didn't get rattled even though we weren't scoring. But it was our defense that was systematically creating TO's, and doing it with less wasted energy. Very impressed with this team.

 

[Deadrody]

This is what happens in basketball. If that deflated you in a great win, you might want to pick a new sport for the sake your mental health.

Come on. There's literally nothing worse in sports than watching your team that you know and they've proven is really good, play badly for long stretches, letting a team they've already shown they can outscore nearly at will, hang around. If your response to that is "This is GREAT", maybe your mental health isn't as solid as you think

 

[Waquoit]

Come on. There's literally nothing worse in sports than watching your team that you know and they've proven is really good, play badly for long stretches, letting a team they've already shown they can outscore nearly at will, hang around. If your response to that is "This is GREAT", maybe your mental health isn't as solid as you think

If the other team is any good, and Alabama is, they are going to make some shots and go on a run. It was like a horse race, they shot their wad just trying to catch-up and had nothing left after they did and we pulled away again. Fact is, games like this are much more common than the perfect game you and others are lamenting we didn't have. Perfect games are rare and I'm not bothered we didn't have one. Especially since we kicked their ass anyway.

 

[coachn]

Very upset by loosing that big lead. Thought was here we go again. Not an enjoyable experience

 

[mhshuskies]

This is what happens in basketball. If that deflated you in a great win, you might want to pick a new sport for the sake your mental health.

Ouch!

 

[BigErnMcCracken]

Very upset by loosing that big lead. Thought was here we go again. Not an enjoyable experience

You're going to have a very difficult time this year. It's worth bearing in mind that the buzz from Portland before last night was that Alabama was the best team in the bracket, they had just pounded MSU the night before, and they were favored. If you can't enjoy a 15+ point win over that team in that circumstance it's going to be a long ride for you.

 

[mhshuskies]

There are a lot of new parts to this team and it may take a little time for all the gears to mesh. Getting Samson back will add a lot to the front line and it’s been quite a while since we have had the depth of players who can score. For all that we lost from last season, the ceiling is much higher for this team.

 

[AzHusky]

Some of you are missing what I think he was saying. In the past this team would be up by 15 and let the other team back into the game and lose. Last night when we went from 15 to 5 some of us were thinking here we go again. But it looks like that is not going to happen this year.

 

[Spaceman213J]

I loved Danny Hurley's coaching last night. I especially loved it when the announcers were asking for Sanogo to go back in, but he stuck with Clingan. Sanogo was obviously sped up and going to fast. Jackson was very much that way the game before. Sometimes the best thing for a player who is trying to do much too quckly is to just sit and watch. You can get a feel for the game's pace. Also, when Sanogo came back in, he was rested and had 2 fouls left to work with.

 

[mhshuskies]

I love AJ’s game even without scoring, he can be so disruptive!

 

[Palatine]

Come on. There's literally nothing worse in sports than watching your team that you know and they've proven is really good, play badly for long stretches, letting a team they've already shown they can outscore nearly at will, hang around. If your response to that is "This is GREAT", maybe your mental health isn't as solid as you think

Watch the NCAA Tourney sometime. There is a cliche, "everyone has a run." When you play against good teams, they will control portions of the game. It does not mean your team is playing poorly, quite the opposite, it is just as likely that the other team is playing well or even over their heads. To not understand this concept, is to not understand the nature of sports.

 

[NJHoops]

Biggest pro I see is that the staff is still tinkering and figuring things out with this group, and they’re still a rather comfortable 7-0.

 

[Icehawk]

Here's why I love this team - even when Bama came back to even with us I wasn't panicking. I would have last year for sure.

My only complaint was Hurley should have made some swaps a bit sooner BUT last year either he wouldn't have or didn't have the player options to do it. This year he seems far more willing to move pieces around.

The play style difference between some of our lineups really helps throw the other team IMO. Some were saying Clingan was better in caht than Sanogo, my point wasn't whether one is better but they are different and if one isn't working just swap over. Clingan came in, we turned it around, and then Sanogo was able to get back in and play his game.